The things which must SOON take place - means - this could happen at any time. As I've said several times before, we must include our passing away as "soon" enough. Once we (who are believers) have passed away, the next thing we will realize is that we are being resurrected during the rapture and taken to heaven...
(Revelation 1:1-3) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Verse 7 is giving a forecast of Jesus' Second Coming (not the rapture). Kind of like those movies who show a portion of the end, then go back to the beginning so the viewers can then see the journey to that point...
(Revelation 1:4-8) John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John mentions that he is a "fellow partaker in the tribulation" - referring to the tribulations at that time, for the Roman Empire under Domitian's reign was persecuting Christians in order to make them recant their faith and accept the cult of emperor worship. John mentions that he is on Patmos, which was where Rome kept prisoners...
(Revelation 1:9-11) I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
Below, we see John speaking with Jesus, who tells him that he is to write what he sees - the "things which are" and the "things which will take place after these things" (meaning - the Church Age, and then what happens after that)...
(12-20) Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
So for the next two chapters, we will see the things "which are".
There are seven churches mentioned. These were the main churches back in that day, but each one represents different types and conditions of churches that can be seen today. Each church is told what they had done correctly - as an encouragement to keep doing these things until the rapture. As well each church is warned about which issues they need to correct. Note that it is Jesus who is judging them, since Jesus is the ultimate Judge!
The first one is praised for the good deeds and perseverance in the beginning, but with the second generation Christians, they had lost their zeal and eager devotion to God. Today we can see churches who simply take care of their own without wanting to reach out to their neighbors.
They are warned to change their ways or their lampstand will be removed (their usefulness will come to an end). At the end of this portion, we see a glimpse of what heaven will be like. For those who are true believers, we will eat from the tree of life...
(Revelation 2:1-7) “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. 6 Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
The second church was really struggling and experiencing persecution, mainly because they were surrounded by a pagan culture. And those who were (and are) true believers will go to heaven. Believers who faithfully go through persecutions (tests and trials) will receive the crown of life (a reward given at the Bema Seat judgment)...
(Revelation 2:8-12) “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:
9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
The third church was located in an affluent and educated culture, but one that was evil. This church's main struggle was allowing other beliefs to be taught. There are churches today who will water down or alter the message of Jesus until the church is no longer "Christian". For anyone repenting and becoming a true believer, they will enter heaven to be part of Christ's sufficiency. This could be what the "hidden manna" and the "white stone" is referring to...
(Tribulation 2:12-17) “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:
13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. 15 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’
The fourth church sounds like it is a growing church, but their main issue is that they have not dealt with a disruptive person in their congregation. Often churches are trying so hard to be loving, that they fail to also protect themselves (and the people who are to eventually become believers). It is good to give such a disruptive person a chance to repent - but if they do not and they continue to be disruptive - they do need to be removed. It is not easy dealing with situations like this, but it has to be done.
What is different in this next portion is: the ones who remain faithful will reap blessings, but the ones who cause the disruptions and the ones who stray will suffer consequences. Thus, from all three chapters, we can see that it is not only the believers who are the ones who suffer, and it is not always the ones who do evil that go through life without struggles.
This portion ends with a promise that the faithful true believer - after holding fast until the raptured - will help Jesus rule in the Millennial kingdom...
(Revelation 2:18-29) “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:
19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25 Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This fifth church sounds like the kind of church that is only "playing church". It has become more of a social gathering. This is the kind of church that does not preach the gospel message, or preaches any sort of spiritual "meat" at all. This is the kind of church that does good deeds but without giving God the glory.
Jesus warns them that if they do not repent, they will miss the rapture. The people who are true believers (who have not soiled their garments) will be caught up to meet Jesus and taken to heaven where we will be given new heavenly bodies (where we will walk with Jesus in white). Jesus promises that when our names are written in the book of life - our names cannot be erased! No one can lose their salvation!
NOTE: the description of the rapture here is that Jesus will "come like a thief", which is very different from the description of Jesus' Second Coming given at the beginning of chapter 1, where everyone will be able to see Him coming in the clouds)...
(Revelation 3:1-6) “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The sixth church is a healthy church! The ones who are persecuting this church will experience consequences. And the true believers will reap blessings, and of course be taken up at the rapture - kept from "the hour of testing" (the Tribulation). As well, for those who persevere in God's will, they will be rewarded at the Bema Seat, and be honored in heaven (made a pillar)...
(Revelation 3:7-13) “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This is the lukewarm church. I've been to such a church - once! It was full of rich people. The building was very fancy and historic. And it was disgusting! They did not preach spiritual "meat". They did not even preach "milk".
The basic message of the sermon was: "The poor are with us. They stink. They're nasty. They're stupid. But they're here. So we just have to put up with them." People chucked at their minister's stand-up-comedian-routine, which was flanked by meaningless motions and rhetoric...
(Revelation 3:14-17) “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked...
Today's takeaway: Jesus says at the end of all this - even to this disgusting "church" - that anyone still has a chance to repent and become a true believer! God is so very patient and so very generous! We as believers will be rich in the Lord! And in paradise, we will be clothed in heavenly garments, and able to dine with God! The one who overcomes will sit with Jesus on His throne...
(Revelation 3:18-27) I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
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